Safety device for oil heaters



1940. R. H. GELDER ET AL 2,202,098

SAFETY DEVICE FOR OIL HEATERS Filed April 10, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1940. R. H. GELDER ET AL 2,202,098

SAFETY DEVICE FOR O IL HEATERS Filed April 10, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IE'IE-4= 2Q. y lation to the vertical, to rotate the shaft, move.

Patented May 28, 1940 UNITED STAT 'SAFETY DEVICE FOR OIL HEATERS Raymond H. Gelder, Alameda, and Russell It. Gordon, Piedmont, Calif.

Application April 10, 1939, Serial No. 267,000

Claims.

This invention relates to attachments for use with portable oil heaters for household use.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which will instantly extinguish the burner flame in event that the heater is accidentally up- A further object of the invention is to provide in a wick-type oil heater, equipped with a manually rotatable shaft for regulating the burner flame by raising or lowering the wick, spring actuated means, normally disengaged from the shaft, which is capable of instant engagement with the shaft, in the event that the heater should be tilted beyond a prescribed angular rethe wick to a lowered position, and to immediately extinguish the burner flame.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage some of which, together with the foregoing, will be specifically set forth in the detailed description of the invention hereto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form thereof herein shown and described as various other embodiments thereof maybe employed within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a typical burner unit used in oil heaters showing the safety device of our invention mounted thereon and illustrated in pre-set position. A non-essential por tion of the view is broken away so as to conserve space and other portions of the view are shown in section so as'to more clearly disclose the construction.

Figure 2 is a fragmental top plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1 illustrating the safety device in tripped position. A portion of the view is shown in section so as to disclose the construction more clearly.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1. v v

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing the safety device in tripped position.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the structure shown in Figure 3. The plane of section is indicated by the line 5-5 of the latter figure.

In detail, the safety device of our invention may be used with any kind ofwick-type oil heater or burner but is particularly designed for use with the type of heater employing the burner shown in the drawings, comprising a cylindrical fuel tank 6 having mounted at the top thereof a burner casing l in which is movably guided a usually cylindrical wick 8 whose lower end is immersed in the fuel contained in the tank 6. The usual familiar adjusting shaft 9 having a handwheel H at its outer end is journaled in a tube l2, projecting from the top of the tank, is connected to a bracket [3 which is fixedly secured to the tank, and is provided at its inner end with a star-shaped sprocket tractionally engaging the wick so that by turning the shaft 9 the wick 8 may be raised or lowered. The sprocket, since its construction is quite familiar to those skilled in the art, need' not be and therefore is not shown. Proper rotation of the handwheel II will raise' the wick 8 above the burner casing 1, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, so that the wick is exposed and may be lighted, and a sufiicient amount of reverse rotation" of the handwheel will draw the Wick into the burner casing so that the flaming wick may be extinguished.

Pressure actuated means is provided for rotating the shaft 9 to move the wick 8 from its exposed position shown in the aforementioned figures of the drawings to a retracted position to extinguish the burner flame. Mounted on and concentric with the tube I2 is a sleeve I4 provided at one end with integral extension lugs [6, which are bent around the bracket l3 .so as to immovably engage the latter, and adjacent the other end with a pin I I fixed thereto and extending radially from the periphery thereof. The sleeve l4, due to its connection by the lugs l6 to the fixed bracketl3, is secured against rotary and axial movement relative to the tube I2. A latch rotor is provided compressing a hubl8, journaled for rotation on the end of the sleeve l4 adjacent'the pin ll, having an integral, radially extending,- flange l9 at one end thereof adjacent the periphery of which is provided a handle or finger grip' 2| extending outwardly from one side of the flange and a latch lug 22 extending inwardly from the opposite side of the flange. A coil torsion spring 23, concentric with and'surrounding the sleeve M, has one end 24 thereof engaged with the bracket l3 and the other end 26 thereof engaged with the latch lug 22. The arrangement of the parts is such that when the latch rotor is rotated, from its released position shown in Figure 2 to its engaged position shown in Figure -1, the coils of the spring 23 will be tightened so that upon release of the rotor the latter will, under the influence of the torsional force stored in the spring, quickly be returned to its released position. This motion of the rotor extends through about degrees.

Means is provided operative upon rotation of the latch rotor in one direction for connecting the latter to the shaft 9 so that the shaft may also be rotated. Secured, by a setscrew) 21, to the shaft 9 and in spaced relation to the latch rotor, is a collar 28 having a flange 29, at the end thereof confronting the latch rotor, upon the face of which is formed one or more ratchet teeth 3! which are complemental to and may mesh with a complete circular row of similar teeth 32 formed on the outer face of and integrally with the flange [9 of the latch rotor. The inner end of the hub I 8 is provided with a sloping notch 33, into which the pin I1 may enter, and also with a diametrically opposed abutment 34 which also may engage the pin H. In the normal released position of the latch rotor illustrated in Figure 2, the abutment 34 engages the pin l1 and prevents the handle 2i or the lug 22 from contacting the top of the tank 6, it being obvious that if such contact were to be repeatedly allowed the thin metal of the tank top would soon become badly battered if not actually punctured. Upon movement of the latch rotor clockwise from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 1, the notch 33 will engage the pin and, due to the sloping of the sides of the notch, the entire latch rotor will be moved axially a distance along the shaft. Upon release of the latch rotor, to allow it to return in a counter-clockwise direction to its first described position, the sloping notch 33, in moving relative to the pin II, will immediately cause the latch rotor to be moved axially toward the collar 28 so that the teeth 32 of the rotor and those 3! of the collar will intermesh. Thus the latch rotor and the shaft 9 will be connected for rotation together so that the wick 8 will be drawn downwardly into the burner housing 1 thereby extinguishing the burner flame. It will be noted that since the notch 33, in engaging the pin I! in the set position of the safety device shown in Figure 1, acts to move the latch rotor axially away from the shaft hub 28, the teeth 3! and 32 will be disengaged thus permitting manual rotation of the shaft 9 so that the user may, independent of the safety device, regulate the exposed height of the wick 8 to any degree that is desired.

Means is provided for holding the latch rotor in the set position, in which it is shown in Figure 1, and means is also provided, actuated by gravity upon tilting of the burner to abnormal angular positions with respect to the vertical, for releasing the latch rotor holding means. Secured, in any suitable manner such as by soldering, at its lower end to the tank 6, adjacent the mechanism previously described, is an upwardly extending bracket 36 having fixed thereon a pivot pin 3! upon which is pivotally mounted a latch lever 38 having at its upper end an integral extended pawl 39 which is adapted, with the latch rotor at the limit of its clockwise rotation as shown in Figure 1, to overlie the lug 22 of the latch rotor. This latch lever, it will be seen, will hold the latch rotor in the aforementioned position until the lever is moved about its pivot so that the pawl 39 releases its grip on the lug 22. A bracket 41 is mounted on the top of the tank 6 in spaced relation to the bracket 36 and has thereon a pivot pin 42 which serves as a fulcrum for a short link 43 which is connected by means of a pivot pin 44 with one end of a longer trigger link 46, the other end of the latter being connected, by means of a pivot pin 41, with the latch lever 38 at a point on the latter spaced from its pivotal center at the pivot pin 31. An upwardly directed boss 48 is provided on the upper edge of the link 46 intermediate the ends thereof and has in and centrally of its upper surface a slight -depression 49'. The upper end of each of the brackets 36 and M is provided with suitable apertures through which pass the respective ends of a trigger bar 5|, the said ends of the bar being threaded and fitted with nuts 52 which serve to clamp the bar rigidly to the brackets. The center section of the trigger bar is bent arcuately upwardly and forms a pivotal mounting for a trigger 53 having a central aperture 54, through which the bar 5! freely passes, a recessed lower end in which is rotatably secured a ball 56, and an upper end reduced in diameter to provide a shank 51 which receives a removable weight 58.

With the latch rotor in its set position, and the pawl 39 overlying the top surface of the lug 22, the links 43 and 46 may be held in' the position shown in Figure 3 and the ball 56 at the lower end of the trigger 53 may then be seated in the depression 49 of the boss 48. The trigger will thus be in a vertical position. Since there is an upward pressure, created by the torsional force stored in the spring 23, on the lug 22, there will be a corresponding force tending to swing the latch lever 38 away from the lug, so as to release its engagement with the pawl 39, and also a proportional upward pressure on the link 46 tending to retain the ball 56, of the trigger, seated in This condition will obtain as the depression 49. long as the burner is maintained in a vertical position. As soon as the burner is inclined past a critical point, however, such as in the event that the heater in which the burner is mounted is accidentally upset, the force of gravity together with the force of the shock incident to the striking of the heater against the floor in falling, will cause the weight 58 to swing the trigger 53 about its pivotal connection with the trigger bar 5|, as shown in Figure 4, thus carrying the ball 56 out of the depression 49 and severing the connection of the trigger with the link 46. The latter is thus free to move upwardly and, in so doing, will permit the latch lever 38 to swing away from the lug 22 so that the pawl 39 moves away from and clears the upper surface of the lug. This frees the latch rotor which may then be rotated by the spring 23, as described above, and moved into engagement with the shaft 9 to withdraw the projecting wick 8 into the burner casing 1 thereby extinguishing the burner flame. This cycle of operation from the tripping of the trigger 53 to the rotation of the shaft 9 occurs in very rapid sequence so that the burner flame is extinguished practically instantaneously and in most instances before the heater strikes the floor in falling,

The weight 58 is purposely made removable from the trigger shank 51 so that when it is desired to remove the burner unit from the heater, to refill the tank 6 with fuel, the weight may be readily lifted from the shank 51 and set aside to be replaced when the burner is refueled and returned to its position in the heater. If the weight were left attached to the trigger and the burner unit were lifted by theusual bail 59, the offset position of the weight with respect to the center of gravity of the burner would cause the latter to tilt as it was lifted, thereby tripping the safety device and creating the bother of resetting the latter when the burner was returned to the heater. The removal of the weight prevents this as the weight of the trigger alone, in the absence of undue shock, is insuficient to trip the safety device.

From the foregoing description of our invention it will be seen that we have provided simple and efiicient mechanism for automatically extinguishing the flame of oil burners, in the event that the heaters with which they are used are accidentally overturned, thus eliminating the danger of fire caused by the ignition of spilled fuel. It will also be seen that the safety device in its set position is entirely disconnected from the manual control of the wick so that it in no way interferes with the setting of the burner flame to any degree of intensity desired. It will further be seen that the safety device will operate by gravity only -totrip the trigger and that the actual extinguishing of the flame is not dependent on the force of gravity but is forcibly done by the actuating spring which may be pretensioned to any desired degree.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is:

1.- In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, a clutch including a pair of relatively engageable and releasable members, one of which is fixed to and rotatable with said shaft, normally restrained releasable pressure means connected with and torotatethe other of said clutch members, means operative upon relative rotation between said clutch members for successively moving said clutch members relatively into engaged and released positions, and gravity actuated means for releasing said restrained pressure means.

2. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism. including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move 7 said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, a clutch including a pair of relatively engageable and releasable members, one of which is fixed to and rotatable with said shaft,

normally restrained releasable pressure means connected with and to rotate the other of said clutch members, means carried by said other of the clutch members and operative upon relative rotation between said clutch members for successively moving said clutch members relatively into engaged and released positions, and

gravity actuated means for releasing said restrained pressure means.

3. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a con-' cealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, a clutch comprising a pair of members on and concentric with said shaft, one of said members being fixed to and rotatable with said shaft and the other of said members being free of said shaft and movable axially thereof shaft toward and away from said one of the clutch members, and gravity actuated means for releasing said restrained pressure means.

4. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from, an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, a clutch' comprising a fixed sleeve surrounding and concentric with said shaft, said sleeve having extending radially thereof, a first clutch member secured to and rotatable with said shaft. a second clutch member jo urnaled on and movable axially of said sleeve, and disposed adjacent said first clutch member, said second clutch member having therein a notch disposed angularly with respect to the axis of said sleeve and engageable, upon rotation of said second clutch member, with said pin so that said second clutch member is moved axially toward said first clutch member to engage the latter and away from said first clutch member out of engagement with the latter, pressure means connected and movable with said second clutch member between unloaded and loaded positions, releasable means for holding said pressure means in loaded position, and gravity actuated means for releasing said pressure means holding means.

5. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed-position within said burner housing whereing the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, a clutch comprising relatively engageable driving and driven members, said driven member being securedto and rotatable with said shaft and said driving member being mounted for rotary motion adjacent to said driven member, a spring connected with and for rotating said driving member between a loaded position of said spring to an unloaded position thereof, means operative during movement of said driving member toward the unloaded position of said spring for urging'said driving member into tractional engagement with said driven member so as to connect said shaft to be rotated by said spring, a latch lever pivotally mounted on said burner housing and in releasable engagement with said driving member to retain the latter in the loaded a, pin securedthereto andating the latch mechanism to release the engagement of the latch lever and said driving member.

6. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, powered mechanism for moving said wick to said concealed position within the burner housing comprising a collar, having one or more clutch teeth thereon, secured to and rotatable with said shaft,

a latch rotor journaled on and movable axially of said shaft, said latch rotor having clutch teeth thereon engageable, upon axial movement of the latch rotor, by the clutch teeth of said collar so as to connect the latch rotor for rotation with said shaft, a torsion spring connected with said latch rotor, said torsion spring being loadable, upon rotation of said latch rotor from a released to a set position, to return said latch rotor to ;said released position, means operative during rotation of said latch rotor to said released position for axially moving said latch rotor to engage the clutch teeth thereof with the clutch teeth of said collar, a latch lever carried by said {3 burner housing for engaging and releasably holding said latch rotor in said set position thereof, an articulated link connected at one end with said latch'lever and at the other end with said burner housing, and a trigger pivotally mounted on said burner housing and releasably engaging said articulated link intermediate the ends thereof.

7. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a Wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, powered mechanism for moving said wick to said concealed position within the burner housing comprising a collar, having one or more clutch teeth thereon, secured to and rotatable with said shaft, a latch rotor journaled on and movable axially of said shaft, said latch rotor having clutch teeth thereon engageable, upon axial movement of the latch rotor, by the clutch teeth of said collar so as to connect the latch rotor for rotation with said shaft, a torsion spring connected with said latch rotor, said torsion spring being loadable, upon rotation of said latch rotor from a released to a set position, to return said latch rotor to said released position, means operative during rotation of said latch rotor to said released position for axially moving said latch rotor to engage the clutch teeth thereof with the clutch teeth of said collar, a latch lever carried by said burner housing for engaging and releasably holding said latch rotor in said set position thereof, an articulated link connected at one end with said latch lever and at the other end with said burner housing, a trigger pivotally mounted on said burner housing and having one end thereof in releasable engagement with said articulated link intermediate the ends of the latter, and a weight carried by the other end of said trigger.

8. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, powcred mechanism for moving said wick to said concealed position within the burner housing comprising a collar, having one or more clutch teeth thereon, secured to and rotatable with said shaft, a latch rotor journaled on and movable axially of said shaft, said latch rotor having. an extending lug adjacent the periphery thereof and clutch teeth engageable, upon axial movement of the latch rotor, by the clutch teeth of said collar so as to connect the latch rotor for rotation with said shaft, a torsion spring connected with the latch rotor, said torsion spring being loadable, upon rotationof said latch rotor from a released to a set position, to forcibly return said latch rotor to said released position, a fixed pin extending radially of and adjacent said shaft, said latch rotor having in one end thereof a helically arranged notch engageable, upon rotary motion of said latch rotor, by said pin so that said latch rotor is moved axially to successively engage and disengage the clutch teeth thereof with the clutch 2 teeth of said collar so as to successively connect and disconnect said latch rotor to and from said shaft, a latch lever pivotally mounted on said burner housing and in releasable engagement with the lug of said latch rotor for releasably holding said latch rotor in said set position thereof, and gravity-influenced means for releasing the engagement of said latch lever with said latch rotor.

9. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing,wherein the wickmay be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, powered mechanism for moving said wick to said concealed position within the burner housing comprising a collar, having one or more clutch teeth thereon, secured to and rotatable with said shaft, a latch rotor journaled on and movable axially of said shaft, said latch rotor having an extending lug adjacent the periphery thereof and clutch teeth :engageable, upon axial movement of the latch rotor, by the clutch teeth of said collar so as to connect the latch rotor for rotation with said shaft, a torsion spring connected with the latch rotor, said torsion spring being loadable, upon rotation of said latch rotor from a released to a set position, to forcibly return said latch rotor to said released position, a fixed pin extending radially of and adjacent said shaft, said latch rotor having in one end thereof a helically arranged notch engageable, upon rotary motion of said latch rotor, by said pin so that said latch rotor is moved axially to successively engage and disengage the clutch teeth thereof with the clutch teeth of said collar so as to successively connect and disconnect said latch rotor to and from said shaft, a latch lever pivotally mounted on said burner housing and in releasable engagement with the lug of said latch rotor for releasably holding said latch rotor in said set position thereof, an articulated link pivotally connected at its ends, respectively, with said latch lever and said burner housing, a pivot bar secured to said burner housing, a trigger pivotally mounted on said pivot bar and having one end thereof in releasable engagement with said articulated link intermediate the ends thereof, and a weight removably mounted on the other end of said trigger.

10. In an oil burner comprising a burner housing having a wick and mechanism including a rotatable shaft operatively connected to move said wick from an exposed position exterior of said burner housing, wherein the wick may be lighted to provide a burner flame, to a concealed position within said burner housing wherein the burner flame is smothered and extinguished, powered mechanism for moving said wick to said' concealed position within the burner housing comprising a collar, having one or more clutch teeth thereon, secured to and rotatable with said shaft, a latch rotor journaled on and movable axially of said shaft, said latch rotor having an extending lug adjacent the periphery thereof and clutch teeth engageable, upon axial movement of the latch rotor, by the clutch teeth of said collar so as to connect the latch rotor for rotation with said shaft, a torsion spring connected with the latch rotor, said torsion spring being loadable, upon rotation of said latch rotor from a released to a set position, to forcibly return said latch rotor to said released position, a fixed pin extending radially of and adjacent said shaft, said latch rotor having in one end thereof a helically arranged notch engageable, upon rotary motion of said latch rotor, by said pin so that said latch rotor is moved axially to successively engage and disengage the clutch teeth thereof with the clutch teeth of said collar so as to successively connect and disconnect said latch rotor to and from said shaft, a pair of spaced brackets secured to and rising from said burner housing, a latch lever pivotally mounted on one of said brackets and movable into releasable engagement with the lug of said latch rotor for releasably holding said latch rotor in said set position thereof, a trigger link pivotally connected at one end thereof to said latch lever and at the other end thereof to a relatively shorter link, the said shorter link being pivotally secured to the other of said brackets, a boss on and rising from an edge of said trigger link intermediate the ends thereof,

said boss having a depression in a surface thereof, a pivot bar extending between and secured at its opposite ends to said brackets, a trigger pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said pivot bar, said trigger having journaled in one end thereof a ball to be seated in said depression, and a weight member having an aperture therein for removably receiving the other end of said trigger.

RAYMOND H. GELDER. RUSSELL R. GORDON. 

